City · West Virginia
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont, city, in Marion County, West Virginia. Fairmont had 18,035 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 18,416 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 18,221 (±35). GEOID 5426452.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
18,035
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 18,416 · ACS 2020-2024: 18,221 ±35
Median household income
$63,032
±$2,689 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$163,800
±$5,411 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$916
±$80 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Fairmont and what county is it in?
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia. It covers 8.6 square miles of land, 2,141 residents per square mile in 2020.
Fairmont is in the Fairmont, WV micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Fairmont, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 18,035 people lived in Fairmont on July 1, 2025, down 2.1% since 2020, a steeper fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 18,416 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 18,221 (±35).
| Measure | Fairmont | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 18,221 ±35 | 55,909 | −237 |
| Households | 8,017 ±339 | 23,339 | +443 |
| Average household size | 2.14 ±0.09 | 2.33 | −0.16 |
| Housing units | 9,006 ±344 | 26,276 | no clear change |
Fairmont's population since 2000
From 19,097 in 2000 to 18,035 in 2025: down 5.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Fairmont as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Fairmont?
The median resident of Fairmont is 34.9 years old; 17.9% are under 18 and 16.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.9%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 6.0%. 1.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Fairmont | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.9 ±1.6 | 40.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.9% ±1.7 pts | 19.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.0% ±1.5 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Male | 50.7% ±1.7 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% ±0.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.9% ±1.5 pts | 91.0% | −4.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 6.0% ±1.1 pts | 2.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.6% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.0% ±1.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.5% ±0.6 pts | 0.8% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.3% ±0.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.2% ±1.5 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 17.7% ±2.2 pts | 18.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.9% ±1.9 pts | 6.7% | +2.5 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.1% ±1.6 pts | 92.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 32.9% ±3.1 pts | 27.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.3% ±1.9 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.4% ±2.1 pts | 89.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.7% ±1.0 pts | 1.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Fairmont earn?
Half of Fairmont's 8,017 households earn less than $63,032 a year (±$2,689), against $67,370 in Marion County and $59,608 in West Virginia. In 2015-2019 the median was $53,312 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $9,720 after inflation. 17.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Fairmont | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,032 ±$2,689 | $67,370 | +$9,720 |
| Mean household income | $75,398 ±$4,927 | $82,263 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,306 ±$2,045 | $34,952 | +$5,777 |
| People below the poverty line | 17.4% ±2.7 pts | 13.6% | −5.7 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 22.2% ±7.8 pts | 18.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.7% ±3.0 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.7% ±1.4 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.1% ±1.9 pts | 90.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Fairmont?
Owners occupy 63.1% of Fairmont's occupied homes and renters 36.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $163,800 by its owner (±$5,411). The median renter pays $916 a month including utilities, and 34.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Fairmont | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $163,800 ±$5,411 | $166,700 | +$27,316 |
| Median gross rent | $916 ±$80 | $932 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 34.0% ±6.6 pts | 29.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,181 ±$54 | $1,206 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 63.1% ±4.1 pts | 76.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 36.9% ±4.1 pts | 23.3% | – |
| Housing units | 9,006 ±344 | 26,276 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.7% ±3.6 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 71.8% ±3.5 pts | 77.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.0% ±1.0 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9% ±0.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.6% ±0.9 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 36.7% ±3.7 pts | 27.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.8% ±3.2 pts | 7.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Fairmont building?
Builders took permits for 5 new housing units in Fairmont in 2025 (5 in single-family houses), 0.3 per 1,000 residents against 2.2 across West Virginia.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Fairmont work and get to work?
70.9% of Fairmont's workers drive alone and 12.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 22.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.7%.
| Measure | Fairmont | Marion County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.3% ±2.8 pts | 59.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% ±2.1 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 70.9% ±3.9 pts | 74.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.0% ±2.8 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.3% ±0.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 4.5% ±1.8 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.2% ±3.1 pts | 11.0% | +8.8 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.8 min ±1.6 | 25.7 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Fairmont?
8 census tracts lie mostly in Fairmont, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $28,977 (Tract 201) to $81,375 (Tract 211).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 203Marion County | 4,047 | $67,426 |
| Tract 202Marion County | 3,507 | $72,321 |
| Tract 208Marion County | 2,897 | $55,313 |
| Tract 207Marion County | 3,721 | $79,607 |
| Tract 211Marion County | 2,723 | $81,375 |
| Tract 205Marion County | 2,065 | $45,586 |
| Tract 206Marion County | 1,761 | $70,750 |
| Tract 201Marion County | 1,180 | $28,977 |
| Tract 204Marion County | 1,980 | $72,619 |
| Tract 209Marion County | 4,358 | $71,011 |
| Tract 212.02Marion County | 2,423 | $76,197 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Fairmont) · Census block assignment files
How does Fairmont compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Fairmont is the 2,102nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 8th-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Fairmont ranks 48th of 138 places in West Virginia with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 8th | 230 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 25th | 102 |
| Residents per square mile | 22nd | 146 |
| Median household income | 48th | 138 |
| Per capita income | 50th | 144 |
| Median home value | 44th | 142 |
| Median gross rent | 39th | 123 |
| Poverty rate | 68th | 111 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31st | 135 |
| Median age | 129th | 146 |
| Owner-occupied share | 104th | 146 |
| Work from home | 24th | 53 |
| Travel time to work | 64th | 145 |
Fairmont's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare Fairmont with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Fairmont?
5 of the 57 figures for Fairmont on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Fairmont are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Fairmont.